MOVIE REVIEWS – August, 2012

2046 (Chinese, 2004)
Directed by Kar Wai Wong.
Chow is a man who wants love, fears it (and thus pushes it away when it gets too close), gives up on it, then wants love again while knowing he will never truly grasp it. Instead, he sits in his room alone, writes his futuristic tales (which are clearly about himself), and beds stunningly beautiful women while the film’s mood grabs the audience, caresses us, and keeps us in its thrall.

The Taste of Tea (Japanese, 2004)
Directed by Katsuhito Ishii.
The father (Tomokazu Miura) is a hypnotherapist who loves to put his family under and make them experience wild LSD type scenarios (this guy needs to be given a father of the century award).

Shadowless Sword (Korean, 2005)
Directed by Kim Young-jun.
Making excellent use of the kind of wirework that’s been used in Chinese films, the characters often defy gravity in a tasteful, elegant manner. This, combined with excellent fight choreography and stunning cinematography, will leave even the most hardened fan of the genre with a contented smile on his face.

Zebraman 2 (Japanese, 2010)
Directed by Takashi Miike.
Here we get madness, battle, chaos, despair, redemption, and a final fight vs. a giant, unstoppable green alien. Hopelessly outgunned, Zebraman turns to one final weapon in his efforts to save the Earth: a straw.